What An Orphan Boy Learned About John 3:16 On ...

What An Orphan Boy Learned About John 3:16 on Christmas Eve

In far away cold country a number of years ago there was a young orphaned boy selling papers on a cold, freezing Christmas Eve afternoon. Toward the close of the afternoon the little boy went up to a policeman and said, "Sir, I’m real cold. I nearly froze to death last night. Do you know someone who could take me in tonight?" The policeman said, "Son, go right down that street to that big white two-story house. It’s a mission. When you get there you will need the password. When the man comes to the door just say; “John 3, verse 16” and he’ll take you in." The little boy said, "What’s a mission?" The policemen said, "Just go down there and say, ’John 3 verse 16.’"

The little boy went down and he knocked on the big door. In a moment a kind faced man came to the door and the little boy said, "John 3, verse 16." The man said, "Come on in, son." The little boy said, "I don’t know what John 3, verse 16, means, but it sure will get you in a big house."

He said, "Son, are you cold?" He said, "I’m so cold that I’m shaking all over." The man said, "Son, come right over here." There was a big roaring fireplace. The man said, "Just get as close as you want to this fireplace and just sit there until it just warms you all the way through." The little boy just got right up close to that fireplace and he just got warmer and warmer and warmer and he said, "I don’t know what John 3, verse 16, means, but it sure will get a cold boy warm."

In a moment the man said, "Son, are you hungry?" The boy said, "Mister, I’m so hungry that I don’t know what to do. I haven’t had a good meal in days and days and days." He said, "Come in here, son." He took him into a room and there was a big table and the table was loaded with a Christmas Eve meal. There was turkey and dressing and cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes and pies and cakes. He said, "Son, you just pull up a chair to this table and just eat until you are full and can’t eat anymore." The little boy grabbed a chair and pulled himself up to the table and said, "I don’t know what John 3, verse 16, means, but it sure will make a hungry boy satisfied." He ate until he could eat no more.

Then the man came and said, "Son, are you dirty? You’ve been out on the street a lot. Do you need a bath?" The boy said, "Mister, I haven’t had a bath in I couldn’t tell you when. Yes, I’m dirty." The man said, "Come with me." He took him up to the second floor to a room. There was one of those old porcelain tubs. The man began to draw warm water. He said, "Son, here’s a bar of perfumed soap. Take that soap and get in that warm water and just wash and scrub and wash and scrub until you get yourself real clean." The little boy got in there, and he just washed himself good. He scrubbed himself good and he felt good all over, and he got out dripping and said, "I don’t know what John 3, verse 16, means, but it sure will get a dirty boy clean."

There were some warm, clean pajamas laid out. He put them on. The man said, "Son, are you tired?" He said, "Yes, sir. I’m tired. I’ve been walking on the streets. I haven’t had a good night’s sleep. I’m so tired." He said, "Come with me." He took him into another room and there was a big bed with clean sheets on it and a big heavy quilt on it. He said, "Son, get in that warm bed and sleep just as long as you want to sleep." And he did. He slept late the next morning and when he woke up he said, "I don’t know what John 3, verse 16, means, but it sure can get a tired boy rested."

The man came in and the little boy said, "Sir, I don’t know what John 3, verse 16, means. Could you tell me what is it?"

"I don’t know what John 3, verse 16, means, but it got me into this big house."

"I don’t know what John 3, verse 16, means, but it made a hungry boy satisfied."

"I don’t know what John 3, verse 16, means, but it got a dirty boy cleaned."

"I don’t know what John 3, verse 16, means, but it got a tired boy rested."

The man opened his Holy Bible and read it in the book of John Chapter 3 verse 16. He explain to the boy what does it mean.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

My son, John 3:16 tell us what Christmas is all about. It is about God’s unconditional love, God’s unspeakable gift, God’s unselective deliverance and God’s uncommon blessing.

(Story Illustrations are not my own. They are borrowed from other’s sermons)

From a sermon by Randy Bataanon, The Password That Unveil Christmas, 12/10/2009